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The Three Little Snakes
During the hottest part of the day deep within the yellowed grass of Lake Escalon, a snake stirred. She began her search for the heart of the patch, far from the rumbling trails from the heavy footfalls of human visitors. The bottom half of her lithe body was swollen and pulsing. It was her turn to bring forth life. She found a suitable place nestled under the shade of a boulder. It wasn’t long before the first of four babies oozed from her underbelly writhing and indignant at the sudden change of scenery.
Once they were curled into tight coils and gazing at her expectantly, she spoke,
“It is not our way to coddle our young. I must depart, but I leave you with one piece of advice-accept your limits and you will be limitless.”
She left gracefully, her golden stripe gliding away like a ribbon in the wind. The three siblings looked at each other with care. They decided to talk for a while before going their separate ways. The oldest one spoke first,
“I am the strongest. Not one frog, fish, or worm will escape my grasp. I will be the King of this lake.” The second scoffed,
“Brother, perhaps you are strong but I am the most beautiful. Don’t you see these gorgeous red scales upon my side? I will have the strongest mates bring me offerings of baby mice and be the queen of this lake.”
The third snake simply watched the others in silence, then moved north to begin building her lair. The eldest brother went west to the water’s edge for the choicest hunting. However, on his way, an egret swooped down and carried him away. The second born went south to flirt by lairs of older snakes, but the females laughed at her puny size. In a rage, she slithered away only to be picked up by a hungry crow.
The third sibling was already nestled into her quiet lair. She lived out her life peacefully until it was her time to travel south and find a suitable mate. When at last, it was her time to bring forth new life she told her young one thing before gliding away,
“A fool says what they will do, how great they are, and what they have done, but the wise act and say nothing.”
© Milan Lopes
Once they were curled into tight coils and gazing at her expectantly, she spoke,
“It is not our way to coddle our young. I must depart, but I leave you with one piece of advice-accept your limits and you will be limitless.”
She left gracefully, her golden stripe gliding away like a ribbon in the wind. The three siblings looked at each other with care. They decided to talk for a while before going their separate ways. The oldest one spoke first,
“I am the strongest. Not one frog, fish, or worm will escape my grasp. I will be the King of this lake.” The second scoffed,
“Brother, perhaps you are strong but I am the most beautiful. Don’t you see these gorgeous red scales upon my side? I will have the strongest mates bring me offerings of baby mice and be the queen of this lake.”
The third snake simply watched the others in silence, then moved north to begin building her lair. The eldest brother went west to the water’s edge for the choicest hunting. However, on his way, an egret swooped down and carried him away. The second born went south to flirt by lairs of older snakes, but the females laughed at her puny size. In a rage, she slithered away only to be picked up by a hungry crow.
The third sibling was already nestled into her quiet lair. She lived out her life peacefully until it was her time to travel south and find a suitable mate. When at last, it was her time to bring forth new life she told her young one thing before gliding away,
“A fool says what they will do, how great they are, and what they have done, but the wise act and say nothing.”
© Milan Lopes
